15 Indian Things You’ll Suddenly Miss After Moving Abroad

After moving abroad, many Indians begin missing the everyday things connected to home: familiar snacks, specific masalas, hair oils, kurtas, sarees, jhumkas, steel kitchenware, pickles, tea and festival essentials.

They may seem like ordinary household products while you are living in India. Once they become difficult to find—or look completely different in an overseas store, they start feeling like little pieces of home.

Fortunately, you do not always need to wait for your next visit to India or ask relatives to fill an extra suitcase. Many eligible products can be ordered directly through the Shoppre Personal Shopper store or purchased from Indian websites using a Shoppre virtual address.

Check Shipping Eligibility Before Buying

Clothing, ordinary jewellery, textiles and many non-fragile household products are generally simpler to ship than food, liquids or religious items. Eligibility still depends on the destination, courier and product materials.

Review Shoppre prohibited and restricted items before placing the order. Shoppre notes that additional restrictions may be imposed by carriers or the destination country’s customs authority.

1. Your Favourite Indian Snacks

You may find Indian snacks in international supermarkets, but they will not always carry the exact brand, flavour or regional variety you remember.

The things you start craving might include:

• Aloo bhujia

• Banana chips

• Chakli or murukku

• Khakhra

• Mixture and chivda

• Mathri

• Masala peanuts

• Indian biscuits

• Regional namkeen

• Festival sweets with a suitable shelf life

Choose factory-sealed products displaying their ingredients, net weight and expiry date. Avoid ordering more than you can consume before the best-before date.

Food-import rules vary considerably, so confirm that every product is permitted in your destination country.

2. Indian Masalas and Spice Blends

Sometimes the problem is not finding spices — it is finding the exact blend that makes a family recipe taste right.

You may miss:

• Garam masala

• Sambar powder

• Rasam powder

• Chaat masala

• Pav bhaji masala

• Biryani masala

• Chole masala

• Regional meat or vegetable masalas

• Ready-to-cook seasoning mixes

Factory-packaged spice blends are preferable for international shopping because they provide ingredient, allergen and expiry information.

Powdered food products may be inspected or restricted by customs. Check the rules before ordering a large collection of masalas.

3. Indian Hair Oils and Haircare Products

Haircare routines are deeply personal. Moving overseas may leave you searching for the same oil, shampoo or herbal powder your family has used for years.

Products people commonly miss include:

• Coconut hair oil

• Amla oil

• Bhringraj oil

• Neelibhringadi oil

• Herbal shampoos

• Hair masks

• Shikakai and reetha products

• Traditional scalp oils

Check whether the product is intended for external use, inspect its ingredients and choose securely sealed bottles. Herbal powders and liquids can face additional courier or customs restrictions.

Do not assume that a familiar or “natural” product will suit every skin or scalp type. Follow the label and discontinue use if irritation occurs.

4. Your Favourite Indian Beauty Brands

You might be able to replace a lipstick shade, face wash or kajal with an overseas alternative — but sometimes you simply want the product you already know.

Your list may include:

• Kajal and eyeliner

• Lip colours suited to Indian skin tones

• Herbal face washes

• Aloe vera gel

• Face packs

• Sandalwood or multani mitti products

• Herbal soaps

• Bindis

• Mehendi products

• Indian fragrances

Check the seal, batch information, manufacture or expiry date and complete ingredient list.

Perfumes, aerosols, nail products and some liquids may be treated as restricted goods. Confirm shipping eligibility before purchasing.

5. That Perfect Kurta You Can Wear Anywhere

A good kurta works almost everywhere: a festival celebration, family dinner, office event, temple visit or casual weekend gathering.

After moving abroad, you may miss having easy access to:

• Cotton kurtas

• Kurta-pajama sets

• Chikankari styles

• Printed festive kurtas

• Silk-blend occasion kurtas

• Nehru jackets

• Kurta and palazzo sets

• Ready-made salwar suits

Check the brand’s size chart instead of relying only on familiar labels such as small, medium or large. Indian sizing and garment cuts vary between brands.

For stitched outfits, compare your chest, shoulder, waist and garment-length measurements before ordering internationally.

6. Sarees You Cannot Find Locally

Overseas boutiques may carry sarees, but they may not offer the regional styles, fabric choices or price range available through Indian stores.

You may find yourself searching for:

• Cotton sarees

• Banarasi-style sarees

• Kanjivaram-style sarees

• Chanderi sarees

• Kasavu sarees

• Paithani-style sarees

• Organza sarees

• Ready-to-wear sarees

• Everyday printed sarees

Check whether the saree includes a blouse piece and whether fall-and-pico finishing is included. Terms such as pure silk, silk blend and art silk describe different materials.

If a product is presented as handwoven or pure silk, look for clear supporting details rather than relying on its product title alone.

7. Indian Jewellery and Jhumkas

Sometimes an outfit feels incomplete without the jewellery style you grew up seeing at weddings and festivals.

Your jewellery list might include:

• Jhumkas

• Oxidised earrings

• Bangles

• Temple-style jewellery

• Kundan-style sets

• Maang tikkas

• Anklets

• Nose pins

• Hair accessories

• Fashion jewellery sets

For ordinary fashion jewellery, check the metal composition and whether the seller provides care instructions. Precious metals, high-value jewellery and products containing restricted materials may require additional documentation or special shipping arrangements.

Do not assume that an inexpensive product is nickel-free or suitable for sensitive skin unless the seller clearly states it.

8. Indian Kitchenware You Grew Up Using

A kitchen abroad may contain every modern appliance and still feel incomplete without the tools used in your family home.

You might miss:

• Stainless-steel tumblers

• Masala dabbas

• Tiffin boxes

• Idli stands

• Dosa tawas

• Chapati boxes

• Chakla-belans

• Pressure cookers

• Traditional strainers

• Puttu makers or appam pans

Consider weight before ordering because heavy steel or cast-iron products can increase international shipping costs.

For pressure cookers and electrical appliances, confirm replacement-part availability, safety compatibility and local voltage requirements. Sharp kitchen tools may have additional restrictions.

9. Indian Home Décor

A few familiar decorative pieces can make an overseas home feel warmer and more personal.

Popular options include:

• Block-printed cushion covers

• Traditional wall hangings

• Brass or metal diyas

• Torans

• Rangoli stencils

• Indian table runners

• Decorative trays

• Wooden handicrafts

• Madhubani or folk-art prints

• Small festival decorations

Textile décor is generally lighter to ship than stone, glass or heavy metal products. Check dimensions carefully because online photographs can make decorative items appear larger than they are.

Natural wood, untreated plant material and fragile products may require additional checks.

10. Indian Puja Essentials

It is often the small items used during puja that are hardest to replace with locally available products.

You may miss:

• Agarbatti

• Cotton wicks

• Puja thalis

• Kumkum and haldi containers

• Small bells

• Brass diyas

• Printed prayer books

• Decorative temple cloth

• Festival-specific puja accessories

• Small non-fragile idols

Confirm shipping eligibility before buying incense, oils, camphor, ghee, powders or products made from plant material.

Matches, fuel, fireworks and other flammable goods should not be included. When uncertain, ask Shoppre before placing the order.

11. Indian Pickles

A spoonful of the right pickle can make even the simplest overseas lunch feel familiar.

Depending on where you grew up, you might miss:

• Mango pickle

• Lime pickle

• Mixed vegetable pickle

• Gongura pickle

• Garlic pickle

• Chilli pickle

• Avakaya

• Tender mango pickle

• Regional homemade-style varieties

Choose commercially packaged, shelf-stable products with sealed lids and clear ingredient labels.

Pickles often contain oil or liquid and may be packed in glass jars, making them more difficult to ship. Food-import regulations also vary, so confirm eligibility before purchasing.

12. Indian Tea and Coffee

Even when plenty of tea and coffee brands are available abroad, they may not reproduce the exact cup that starts your morning in India.

Popular choices include:

• Assam tea

• Darjeeling tea

• Masala chai blends

• Cardamom tea

• Ginger tea

• Filter coffee

• Chicory coffee blends

• Regional coffee brands

• Caffeine-free herbal blends

Choose sealed packets with ingredient and expiry information. Tea, coffee and dry beverage mixes are still food products and must comply with the destination country’s import requirements.

13. Traditional Indian Fabrics and Textiles

Sometimes you do not want a finished outfit—you want the fabric that can be turned into exactly what you have in mind.

You may look for:

• Cotton dress material

• Chanderi fabric

• Ikat textiles

• Ajrakh prints

• Kalamkari fabric

• Block-printed cotton

• Brocade fabric

• Dupattas

• Blouse material

• Regional handloom textiles

Confirm the width, length and fibre composition before purchasing. Product photographs alone cannot tell you whether a fabric is pure silk, cotton, blended or synthetic.

Textiles can be useful additions to a consolidated parcel because they are generally less fragile than household products.

14. Festival Essentials

Celebrating abroad often makes you realise how many small things go into making an Indian festival feel complete.

Your festival list might include:

• Rakhis

• Diwali decorations

• Decorative diyas

• Torans

• Rangoli stencils

• Navratri accessories

• Holi clothing

• Onam outfits

• Puja thalis

• Gift bags

• Traditional clothing

• Festival jewellery

Plan early because festival products can sell out and international delivery may be affected by domestic dispatch, consolidation, customs and local holidays.

Do not order fireworks, sparklers, matches, fuels or other dangerous goods.

15. Those Random Indian Things You Did Not Know You Missed

Finally, there are the things that never make it onto a carefully planned shopping list.

It could be:

• A specific steel lunchbox

• Your preferred biscuit brand

• A familiar face wash

• A traditional hair clip

• A coconut scraper

• A particular notebook

• A regional snack

• A small kitchen strainer

• A favourite soap

• The tumbler used for morning coffee

That is the funny thing about moving abroad. Sometimes you do not miss India as one enormous thing.

You miss it in little pieces.

How to Shop from India with Shoppre

1. Visit Shoppre First

Start at the Shoppre Personal Shopper store and search for the product you want. Eligible available products can be ordered directly through Shoppre.

2. Shop from Other Indian Websites

If the item is available only on another Indian website, sign up with Shoppre and use your Indian virtual shipping address at checkout.

If the store does not accept your international payment method, request assisted purchasing through Shoppre.

3. Confirm Product Eligibility

Check restrictions before buying food, liquids, cosmetics, powders, incense, oils, fragile products or high-value goods.

A product being available online does not automatically mean it is eligible for international shipping.

4. Send Purchases to Your Shoppre Address

Orders from supported Indian stores can be delivered to your Shoppre address in India.

5. Consolidate Eligible Packages

Once your planned purchases arrive, eligible orders from different stores can be combined into one parcel.

Consolidation may reduce duplicate packaging and separate international shipments, but the final cost still depends on weight, dimensions, destination and courier.

6. Review the Final Shipping Cost

Calculate the complete cost before requesting delivery:

Product cost + Indian delivery + service charges + international shipping + customs duties or taxes

7. Ship to Your International Address

Choose an available courier option, submit the shipment request and track the parcel to your overseas address.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Indians miss most after moving abroad?

Many Indians miss familiar foods and everyday routines rather than only major celebrations. Common examples include snacks, masalas, tea, pickles, hair oil, Indian clothing, steel kitchenware and puja essentials.

Can I order Indian products directly through Shoppre?

Yes. Customers can search for and place eligible orders through the Shoppre Personal Shopper store. Product availability and shipping eligibility vary.

Can Shoppre buy from an Indian store that does not accept my card?

Shoppre provides assisted purchasing for supported Indian websites. Customers can submit product details when an Indian seller does not accept their international payment method.

Can snacks, pickles and masalas be shipped internationally?

Some factory-sealed food products can be shipped, but eligibility depends on the ingredients, packaging, courier and destination-country import rules. Pickles, powders and products containing liquids may require additional checks.

Which Indian products are generally simpler to ship?

Clothing, textiles, ordinary fashion jewellery and non-fragile household products are typically more straightforward than food, liquids, powders, aerosols or flammable products. Every item should still be checked before purchase.

Can products from several Indian websites be combined?

Shoppre can consolidate eligible orders delivered to its Indian warehouse. Combining purchases may be more practical than arranging a separate international shipment from every store.

Will I have to pay customs duty?

The destination country may assess customs duty, tax or clearance charges based on the product type, declared value and local regulations. These charges cannot be determined from the Indian product price alone.

A Little Piece of India, Delivered Closer to Home

Living abroad does not mean giving up every Indian product, flavour or tradition that makes daily life feel familiar.

Whether you are searching for a kurta for an upcoming wedding, your favourite snacks, beauty products, kitchenware or festival decorations, Indian online stores provide plenty to explore.

If the store does not offer international delivery, begin with Shoppre Personal Shopper, check that the product is eligible and arrange delivery through Shoppre.

The next time you catch yourself thinking, “I wish I could get that from India,” you may be able to add it to your cart instead.

Missing something from India? Shop your favourite Indian stores from abroad and bring a little piece of home closer to you.